25 voices, three questions: Winvic brings the highways industry together at Highways UK 2026
To mark its 25th anniversary, Winvic brought clients and industry partners together at Highways UK 2026 for the Highways Hot Seat, an activation capturing perspectives from across the highways sector on its progress, challenges and future opportunities.
Twenty-five industry voices responded to three questions exploring the changes making a difference today, the lessons the sector should carry forward and the opportunities that will shape highways over the next five years.
The responses highlighted shared priorities around collaboration, innovation, sustainability, skills and safety, reflecting the importance of working together to address the challenges facing the industry.
THREE QUESTIONS, ONE INDUSTRY
What’s one change you’ve seen in highways over the last year that has made a real difference?
Contributors highlighted developments in funding, sustainability, skills and technology, alongside a growing focus on collaboration across the sector.
Rob Cook, Managing Director for Civils & Infrastructure at Winvic Construction Ltd, said: “Finally, we’ve had RIS3 funding approved, which enables us as a company to invest in our people and progress into the future through our frameworks with National Highways.”
Lucy Cox, Framework Manager at Midlands Highway Alliance Plus (MHA+), highlighted the industry’s response to skills and resource challenges, saying: “It’s been really interesting to see everyone coming together to tackle the resource challenge. Siloed working has been a significant part of the highways industry for a long time, but now we’re coming together to do something about the skills and resource challenges we face.”
Mental health was another area of progress. Sam Munslow, Founder of Highways Mind Health Association (HMHA) CIC, said: “Over the past 12 months, I’ve seen mental health being discussed more and more across the industry. Organisations are increasingly recognising that mental health needs to be a priority and that we need to do more to strengthen support for people.”
Other contributors pointed to the increasing importance of social value, sustainable water management, the representation of women in the industry and the potential for AI to improve road condition monitoring.
What’s one lesson from the last 12 months that the industry shouldn’t lose sight of?
The second question focused on what the industry should carry forward, with responses highlighting quality, social value, innovation, cost pressures and the importance of keeping people safe.
Scott Martin, Contracts Director – Public Sector & Frameworks at Winvic Construction Ltd, said: “Getting quality right first time is essential, and that links directly to the opportunities ahead over the next 12 months. By focusing on first-time delivery and eliminating rework, we can help ensure that RIS3 funding is spent fairly and efficiently on the work being carried out.”
Holly Hunter, Head of Social Value & Marketing at Nuneaton Signs, said: “We’ve seen significant growth in the social value space, with more people thinking about how money is spent and the difference it makes to the public. It’s really important to recognise the requirements around social value within the new procurement legislation and the Procurement Act, and to ensure we’re delivering meaningful benefits for communities.”
Innovation and early planning were also identified as important to improving efficiency, particularly in response to ongoing cost and resource pressures. Contributors also reinforced the importance of making sure everyone goes home safe and well at the end of each day.
What’s the biggest opportunity for highways over the next five years?
Looking ahead, contributors identified opportunities in innovation, supply chain development, social value, skills and the adoption of new technologies.
Russell Furnival, Operations Director at Winvic Construction Ltd, said: “The biggest opportunity for the highways sector is innovation and a continued willingness to innovate. We need to be prepared to take risks, try new approaches and keep pushing boundaries across both the public and private sectors.”
Stefan Sastak, Supply Chain Development Group Leader at National Highways, said: “There are more opportunities to develop the supply chain, build capability among suppliers and improve performance. Quality will be one of the biggest priorities for National Highways over the next five years.”
Andy Harmon, Framework Manager at Winvic Construction Ltd, said: “The biggest opportunity for our industry over the next five years is definitely innovation, and trials will be key to achieving this. Testing new approaches, improving monitoring and being bolder in the way we innovate present significant opportunities for the sector.”
Social value and skills were also key themes. Russel Hopper, Senior Social Value Manager at National Highways, said: “With the introduction of PPN 026, there’s a significant opportunity to focus on skills, sustainable growth and the use of UK suppliers. We’re refreshing our social value strategy and looking at performance metrics, working with suppliers to ensure everyone is aligned. It represents a major opportunity for the industry and a significant cultural shift.”
Other contributors highlighted the potential for AI and automation to improve asset maintenance, streamline construction processes and enhance safety, alongside the need for greater collaboration to address infrastructure renewal and develop the next generation of industry talent.
HEAR FROM ALL 25 CONTRIBUTORS
The Highways Hot Seat brought together perspectives from across the highways industry to mark Winvic’s 25th anniversary and explore the priorities shaping its future.
Watch the full video below to hear all 25 contributors share their views.